Abstract
In sub-Saharan Africa, the increase in pornographic video consumption over the past 15 years might be shaping the sexual practices of the new generation. Using a comprehensive approach, the present study aims to first, measure the prevalence of acts of violence during sex reportedly inspired by pornography (VDSIP) among Mozambican adolescents and young adults; second, examine the consequences of these practices on the individuals involved; and third, identify the cognitive and psychosocial mechanisms by which these practices are adopted and normalized. Overall, 105 Mozambicans were interviewed. Participants’ responses were subjected to discourse content and frequency analysis. The results show that, in the 12 months preceding the interview, between 77.6% and 89.2% of male participants performed VDSIP that included inflicting physical or psychological violence on their partners. In the same period, between 8.5% and 16.8% of female participants performed VDSIP that included inflicting physical or psychological violence on their partners. Females (63.1% of them) were shown to be much more affected by the negative consequences (e.g., depression, low self-esteem, physical and psychological trauma) associated with the practice of VDSIP compared to males (17.7% of them). The main mechanisms by which these practices are adopted and normalized were reported to be imitation, reinforcement, desire for recognition, addiction, development of sexual scripts, misunderstanding about women’s sexual desire, gender inequalities, cognitive and psychosocial biases, and manipulation of the partner’ consent. This study’s findings can be used to design tailored education interventions to mitigate the negative effects of violence during sex among African adolescents and young adults.
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Data Availability
Material used in this study (in Portuguese) and the data supporting this finding are available from the corresponding author upon request and approval by the ethical commitee. Given the sensibility of the study subject and the fact that some of the participants are minor, the ethical committee that authorize the study has forbidden to put the data in public repositories.
Notes
These are neighborhood associations or associations linked to local schools created for the purpose of intra-generational solidarity, the search for solutions to common problems, and for recreation purposes.
The interviews were conducted in Portuguese, therefore the transcriptions in this article are translations.
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Ethical clearance was obtained from the ethical committee of the Maputo Province Education Department. All adult and minor participants provided written informed consent for data collection and publication prior to data collection. The parent/guardian of minor participants also provided written informed consent for data collection and publication prior to data collection. Data collectors informed participants of their right to end the data collection event at any time or skip any questions. No personally identifiable information was collected.
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Vera Cruz, G., Sheridan, T. The Normalization of Violence during Sex among Young Mozambicans Reportedly under the Influence of Pornography. Sexuality & Culture 26, 397–417 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12119-021-09898-7
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12119-021-09898-7